What Do Bettas Need in Their Tank?

Having a pet is almost always an attractive option for many people. The exclamations of ‘aww’ when you see your pet makes the dopamine level shoot up in your brain. They give you a sense of love and companionship.

Well, many pets need a lot of attention, for example, a dog and there are others like fishes who just need your attention once in a while. There are so many kinds of fishes that are often seen in the fish tank. the more colorful and vibrant a fish tank is the more soothing and brilliant it makes the room look. Multiple genetic changes are done to fishes, the latest being glow in the dark. These fishes which can glow in the dark have a fluorophore expressing gene activated. These just make the fish look attractive in a fish tank and have no other utility. This is actually thought to be on the cruel side of the use of an invention. People usually look for naturally vibrant colored fishes like goldfish or betta fish who swim around beautifully and elegantly in a fish tank.

What is a betta fish?

This vibrant fish was first seen in South East Asia. They made their appearance in the paddy fields as usually, they had a lot of stagnant water. They were also seen in the flood plains that were warm around the region and in drainage ditches. Due to their choice of habitat, they became accustomed to the drought and flood conditions. They became what we know as a labyrinth fish. All labyrinth fishes which of course include betta fish can breathe both oxygen which is dissolved in water and the oxygen that is present in the air. So, the betta fish can survive without water for some time by breathing in oxygen from the air. They’re very vibrant and colorful. They are usually categorized under the fighting fish category. They usually are found to live alone as bachelors.

Betta fish due to its adaptation can live in stagnant and oxygen-deprived waters and survive. They will obviously do better with more oxygen but less oxygen is not an immediate problem for them. In a water temperature of about 76-82 degrees, Fahrenheit and a regular change of water will keep your betta happy.

How did the name come to be?

Betta comes from a fighting clan names ‘Bettah. ‘Bettah’ was a clan of warriors from an ancient time. The fish fell under the category of fighting fishes and therefore when this became popular during the mid-1800s they named the fish after the ancient clan of warriors. The sport of the fighting fishes gained a lot of fame and popularity. The king if Thailand started taxing and regulating it due to its popularity. The fish who is the bravest is more cheered and respected than the fish which emerges victorious. The sport was bet on and enjoyed by a lot of people.

The pointers to keep in mind as you construct your betta fish a tank

Betta fishes are not schooling fishes. They do not go around in a huge group rather they like to be alone. When two fishes are put in the same tank they will absolutely fight. The pointers to keep in mind while you create the best betta fish tank is that:

It should not be a bowl:

betta fishes like everyone else enjoy their freedom. Already the restriction of the tank walls is freedom curbing enough your decorations have to be mindful of the space occupation. You can decorate the fish tank appropriately and make sure that there are no sharp decorations. The fins of a betta fish are delicate and sharp decorations may just tear them.

Give them enough space to hide:

the betta fish likes places to hide in their tanks as they would have in their natural environment. You can put in some caves or corals that help them hide in the tank and let them enjoy the feeling. They feel safe in such tanks.

The water pointers to look out for:

the water should be a little acidic and warm. If you make your betta fish stay in cold water you may just be the one suppressing your betta fish’s immune system.

Changing the water:

you cannot change the entire water of the tank. this makes the fish feel not adjusted to the clean water’s temperature and pH. So, we take out one-third of the water from the fish tank and then replace that with new clean water. This makes the transition easier. We have to do it every three to four days.

The cleaning of the decorations:

the cleaning of the decorations cannot be done with soap or detergent as that harms the fish. You can clean the decorations with warm water and that should do just fine. A turkey baster to remove small debris from the floor of the aquarium should just do fine to maintain the bacteria and ammonia level.

Chlorine water is harmful:

the tap water often contains too much chlorine. If this is the case you would have to dechlorinate the water.

What is in for dinner time?

Betta fish according to many people can live off just nibbling at some plant roots which is not true. Betta fish are carnivore fishes. They have to be fed insect and insect larvae. There are different kinds of fish food available in the market where you will get pelted or flaked food for fish. Here you can find your fish’s food with the appropriate constituents in their food. Like everybody when overfed goes through the terrible conditions of obesity so does the betta fish. overfeeding your fish can cause it to become obese and sick.

Sum it up

Betta fish is kind of a territorial fish and usually does not like other betta fishes around it. Living in a small tank might bore them sometimes. You can add ‘friends’ like ghost shrimps, snails and a few other species of fishes to keep them company.